Meerut: Hotel Owner Targeted in ₹1 Crore Extortion; Ragini Dancer, Lover, and International Network Busted

Meerut: The Meerut police have arrested a ragini dancer and her partner in connection with a ₹1 crore extortion case involving a local hotel owner. Investigations revealed that the accused were part of a larger criminal network with international links spanning Malaysia and Punjab.

The incident revolves around former army personnel, Vipin Kumar, a hotel owner residing in Narayan Garden Colony, Kankar Kheda, Modi Puram. Until two and a half months ago, the hotel operations were managed by Vipin’s nephew, Pravesh Kumar, also known as Chhotu, originally from Sarurpur Kalan village, Baghpat, currently residing in Shraddhapuri.

During his time at the hotel, Pravesh befriended Jyoti, a ragini dancer from Shraddhapuri. Over time, their friendship turned into a romantic relationship, prompting Jyoti to leave her husband and live with Pravesh. Meanwhile, Pravesh developed a drinking habit, and his suspicious activities led Vipin to remove him from the hotel’s management.

Facing financial difficulties after Pravesh’s removal and a decline in Jyoti’s dance bookings, the couple hatched a plan to extort a large sum from Vipin. Jyoti’s acquaintance, Archit Chaprana, from Bhagwanpur village (Kithore area), was also involved in the scheme.

Using his contacts, Archit coordinated with his friend Rahul, based in Malaysia, who called Vipin on 15 December via WhatsApp, demanding ₹1 crore and threatening to kill him and his family if the amount was not paid. Alarmed by the threat, Vipin immediately reported the matter to the police.

Further investigation revealed that Archit had already been arrested by Punjab Police three days earlier in an unrelated case. The Meerut police team traveled to Punjab, questioned Archit in jail, and uncovered the full extortion network, confirming the roles of Jyoti and Pravesh.

Following the investigation, Jyoti and Pravesh were arrested and presented before the court, which sent them to judicial custody. Inspector Vinay Kumar confirmed that the investigation is ongoing, and authorities are probing the extent of the network and other possible participants.